Will Smith feels 'brand new' after putting Oscars slap controversy behind him
Actor Will Smith has described the work he has done on himself since slapping comedian Chris Rock at the Oscars as "brutal but beautiful", or "brutiful".
The film star and musician said the moment, televised around the world at the 2022 awards, made him take "a big, strong, honest look at myself".
Appearing on BBC's 1Xtra, Smith told host Remi Burgz: "After the Oscars I, like, shut it down for a minute and really went into the internal work…
"All of a sudden, it was like there was a manhole cover over some unexplored areas, and like the manhole cover came off, and it was scary for a minute.
"Then all of a sudden all of these new thoughts, new energies and new creativity came through.
"So, I feel like I'm brand new.
"I feel like the greatest creative period of my life will be in the next, you know, five to 10 years."
Smith, who has starred in blockbusters such as the Men In Black and Bad Boys franchises, stormed the stage at the 94th Academy Awards and hit Rock after he made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith's hair loss.
Smith won the Oscar for best actor for his leading role in King Richard the same night.
Asked what it was like to make such a mistake in front of the world, Smith said: "For the first time in my career, having to deal with a level of disapproval that I'd never had to experience.
"It's brutiful - it's brutal but beautiful.
"The addiction to the approval of others that I had to dissolve, brutiful."
The Academy Awards called Smith's behaviour "unacceptable and harmful" and banned him from the ceremony for a period of 10 years.
Smith released his first record in two decades earlier this year.
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The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
Justin Bieber hasn't been to church in 3 months as pastor Judah Smith hints at drama in rambling sermon
JUSTIN Bieber hasn't been to his long-time church for at least three months amid drama with his pastor and accusations of a cult-like atmosphere at the institution, insiders have claimed. The pop star, 31, had previously been pictured attending Churchome , a nondenominational church in Beverly Hills, with his wife, , but he's been missing in action since March. 7 Justin Bieber is seen in Los Angeles in April amid concerns over his behavior Credit: Getty 7 Justin Bieber's pastor Judah Smith pictured at the Saban Theater in Beverly Hills on June 25, 2025 Credit: The U.S. Sun 7 Pastor Judah Smith, left, with Bieber during an evening celebrating the release of his album Purpose at the Staples Center in Los Angeles in 2015 Credit: Getty He is said to be close to Smith, 46, who has been his spiritual advisor for years. However, their relationship has reportedly caused a rift between Bieber and his best friend, Ryan Good. Sources previously told Good, who co-founded the star's fashion brand Drew House in 2018, left the church due to its supposed "cult-like culture" and has been worried about Bieber, according to the outlet. Justin Bieber He has not returned calls for comment on the situation. The tension is also said to have escalated when the star added Smith to the Drew House board, despite Good's reported concerns and the pastor's lack of business experience. Bieber has now distanced himself from the brand, telling fans not to buy clothing from Drew House. The U.S. Sun can reveal the singer has not been seen at Churchome's monthly in-person services for three months, while Smith hinted at the troubles in a rambling sermon this week. Most read in Celebrity He has left fans worried with his bizarre behavior and comments about Hailey, including when she featured on the Bieber was also filmed having a public meltdown ranting to paparazzi while at the beach with Solemn Hailey Bieber seen WITHOUT her wedding ring on separate outings in NYC amid Justin divorce rumors His rep has also denied allegations of drug abuse, while followers on social media have been concerned with his weed smoking after becoming a new dad to his son, Jack Blues. EMOTIONAL SERMON On Wednesday evening, around 250 people shuffled into the iconic Saban Theater for the so-called Christhome Experience, and Smith apologized as he was late to the stage. While Bieber was nowhere to be seen, Smith name-dropped his close friend, former "Recently, I've had a lot of people ask me if I'm okay," Smith admitted. "Which, [at] face value, that is a wonderful thing to do, right? A text, 'Hey, you good?' 'Hey, you okay?' "The problem is when they add up, I start to wonder … maybe this has happened to you, wait, am I okay? "So Jason and I went to Miami this past weekend. It was a great time. And I ran into so many old friends I hadn't seen in a while. "And I was kind of taken aback because one person said, 'Hey, are you good? You okay?' And I was like, 'Yeah, yeah, no, I'm good.' I'm kind of like, what have you heard? "Then another person, 'Hey man, are you good? Are you okay?' Should I not be? Yeah, I'm still married to Chelsea. We're having sex pretty regularly. My kids are 20, 18, 16, I don't, uh, yeah. 'And then another person, 'Hey, you good? You've been on my mind.' Um, thank you. You ever had that? Someone's like, 'You've been on my mind.' You're like, 'I haven't thought about them in years.' You don't say that, of course. You're like, yeah, me too. I mean, it's good to see you. He went on: "Now part of that is like, wow, what a thrill, what an honor, what a privilege. Now, some of you right now, already, I've missed you with this message because you're like, 'I wish to God somebody would ask me if I'm okay', but have you ever been asked so many times if you're okay, that you started to wonder if you're okay? "And I'll admit in Miami recently seeing old friends, I started to say, 'no, I'm great'. And then I could hear through my own tone that my response was me also telling them, but also telling me that I'm great." He proceeded to reference Bible scripture and stumbled through the sermon as many of his jokes failed to land with the churchgoers. After an hour, Smith's speech took an emotional turn as he began tearing up and said, "It's [life] always been about people, but we made it about popularity and we made it about appearances." 7 Judah Smith got emotional and began crying during his intense speech at the church Credit: The U.S. Sun 7 Justin and Hailey Bieber have been married for more than five years and recently welcomed their first child Credit: Getty Smith was unavailable for comment on his relationship with Bieber after the service, and Churchome did not respond to comment calls. Bieber's rep also failed to respond when asked for clarification about whether he is still a member of the church. CULT ACCUSATIONS During a previous sermon, Smith recounted how paparazzi had asked him to confirm or deny if Churchome is a cult after he stepped out of his car. "If we're a cult, we are the worst cult in the history of all cults," he joked. "We meet once a month, guys. I stopped doing this every Wednesday. We've got to get better at this." Bieber and his wife are still following Smith on Instagram despite not showing up to services. Smith officiated their 2019 wedding and baptized the couple together in 2020. He has also provided the pair with counseling sessions and featured in the 2020 YouTube documentary series Justin Bieber: Next Chapter. The U.S. Sun spoke to churchgoers leaving the service on Wednesday, with one admitting it's had its issues but insisted it's not a cult. He said, "I've been coming to this church for five years. I've grown so much lot spiritually. "Things aren't always perfect but I know pastor Judah comes from a good place. He has a good heart, he's the real deal. "Haters are gonna hate but I think he has the right intentions. "At the end of the day, pastors are also human, they do make mistakes, but it's up to us to help pray for them and uplift them. "I haven't had negative experiences with Judah but I used to be in the prayer group and that didn't work out. I'll leave it at that. But that didn't discourage me [from coming]. "Every church has its issues, there's mental illness with the people that go there. No church is perfect." On Bieber being missing from services, he said, "He's a big celebrity, he's got a busy schedule. And not to mention the health issues he's going through, everyone here is supportive. "He's participated here, given words here, so we all love him," he added, saying they would always welcome him. BIEBER'S CHURCH TROUBLES It's not the first time Bieber's association with spiritual advisors has caused issues in his personal life. He previously had to distance himself from Hillsong and disgraced pastor Carl Lentz, who was fired in November 2020 due to "leadership issues and breaches of trust, plus a recent revelation of moral failures." It was later revealed that these "moral failures" included affairs that rocked his marriage. Hillsong also found itself the subject of a damning documentary that detailed historical accusations of sexual abuse dating back to the 1970s by late church leader Frank Houston. The churchgoer who spoke to The U.S. Sun revealed he also previously attended Hillsong services but said the two organizations were "two different worlds," adding, "Carl Lentz is a completely different character." A third churchgoer insisted, "There's no pressuring [people] or anything. I've seen Bieber here, they help him get in and out without being [mobbed], but we haven't seen him recently." JUSTIN'S TURMOIL Meanwhile, the star has left fans worried in recent months with his public rants and emotional Instagram posts amid alleged turmoil in his marriage with Hailey. He also announced in April that he no longer supports Drew House and instead is focused on his clothing brand, Skylrk, although the launch has been delayed. In a now-deleted Instagram post, he wrote, "I, Justin Bieber, am no longer involved in this brand," over a screenshot of the fashion house's Instagram account. "Drew House doesn't represent me or my family or life. If your [sic] rocking with me the human Justin Bieber don't waste ur money on Drew House." Justin also posted cryptic messages and In one worrying post, the Sorry singer shared a blurry black-and-white selfie where he looked solemn. He wrote, "Tired of transactional relationships. If I have to do something to be loved that's not love." 7 More than 250 packed into the theater to watch Judah Smith deliver his monthly sermon at Churchome in Beverly Hills Credit: The U.S. Sun 7 Justin Bieber talking to photographers outside Nobu restaurant in Malibu on June 12 Credit:
Irish Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Kneecap confirm BBC Glastonbury bombshell with blunt message
Irish rap trio, Kneecap, has confirmed the BBC contacted the band in the last few hours. Writing on X, Kneecap, whose members are from west Belfast and Derry, confirmed that their 4pm performance on the West Holts Stage at Glastonbury will not be streamed live however, according to the group, the BBC is seeking to make a version of the concert available on the BBC iPlayer on Saturday evening. "A chairde Gael...," wrote Kneecap. "The propaganda wing of the regime has just contacted us.... They WILL put our set from Glastonbury today on the I-player later this evening for your viewing pleasure." The Irish language rappers warned fans at Glastonbury to arrive at the West Holts Stage early to avoid disappointment. "The crowd expected today is far greater than West Holts capacity so "you'll need to be very early to catch us EARLY," they added. Despite facing pressure from British politicians and others, the festival organisers have chosen not to cancel the Irish band's appearance. This comes after allegations that the band displayed a flag in support of the proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah and chanted "up Hamas, up Hezbollah" during a gig in London last November. One of the band members, Liam Og O hAnnaidh, is currently out on bail and set to reappear in court in August, following a court appearance earlier this month. He denies the charges, and the band has apologised to the families of murdered MPs, claiming that footage of the incident was "exploited and weaponised". Kneecap is set to perform at Glastonbury on Saturday at 4pm, and an enormous crowd is expected to attend. The controversy has only added to the band's popularity, particularly among the festival's left-wing, anti-establishment, and pro-Palestinian attendees. Earlier on Saturday, festival bosses issued a warning to fans planning to catch Kneecap's set at the West Holts Stage. Festival organisers advised attendees: "Kneecap will draw a large audience for their 4pm West Holts show. If you're not planning to see them, please plan alternative routes around that area. If you do plan to attend, listen to stewards, and please have some other entertainment options in mind in case the field reaches capacity and we need to close it as part of our crowd planning measures."
Irish Independent
an hour ago
- Irish Independent
Kneecap at Glastonbury: BBC won't stream Irish group's set live but agree to upload it later tonight
It comes after one of the band's members, Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, 27, was charged with allegedly displaying a flag in support of UK-proscribed terrorist organisation, Hezbollah, while saying 'up Hamas, up Hezbollah' at a gig in November last year. Last week the rapper, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was cheered by many hundreds of supporters as he arrived with bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh at Westminster Magistrates' Court in Free Mo Chara T-shirts. A BBC spokesperson today said: 'Whilst the BBC doesn't ban artists, our plans ensure that our programming meets our editorial guidelines. 'We don't always live-stream every act from the main stages and look to make an on-demand version of Kneecap's performance available on our digital platforms, alongside more than 90 other sets.' It is understood the BBC needs to consider the performance before making a final decision. The band said on Instagram: 'The propaganda wing of the regime has just contacted us…. 'They WILL put our set from Glastonbury today on the I-player later this evening for your viewing pleasure.' He was released on unconditional bail until the next hearing at the same court on August 20. Last week Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said it would not be 'appropriate' for them to perform in the slot, which is due to go ahead on the Somerset festival's West Holts Stage at 4pm on Saturday. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch also said the BBC 'should not be showing' the trio's set in a post on social media last week. Badenoch said in an X post, which was accompanied by an article from The Times which said the BBC had not banned the group: 'The BBC should not be showing Kneecap propaganda. 'One Kneecap band member is currently on bail, charged under the Terrorism Act. 'As a publicly funded platform, the BBC should not be rewarding extremism.' Kneecap are not listed as one of the acts being shown live by the broadcaster. Michael Eavis, creator of the Glastonbury Festival said, in an apparent backing of Kneecap, that if people didn't like the politics of the festival, they could 'go somewhere else'. Ahead of the group's set, an Avon and Somerset Police spokesperson told the PA news agency: 'Ticket-holders can once again expect to see uniformed officers on site at Glastonbury Festival 24/7 throughout the festival as part of our extensive policing operation ensuring it is safe for everyone attending, as well as those who live nearby.' Neil Young, best known for songs such as Rockin' In The Free World, Like A Hurricane and Cinnamon Girl, will headline the festival's Pyramid Stage on Saturday night with his band the Chrome Hearts. The BBC confirmed that Young's set will be broadcast live after it initially agreed not to show the concert 'at the artist's request'. Another act expected to draw a big crowd is Brat star Charli XCX, who will headline the Other Stage around the same time Young and Grammy Award-winning rapper Doechii will also perform. The 1975 headlined the festival's Pyramid Stage on Friday night, with the performance seeing singer Matty Healy joke he was his generation's 'best songwriter'. After performing Part Of The Band he sat on a stool while smoking and sipping his drink, Healy said: 'What this moment is making me realise is that I probably am the best songwriter of my generation. 'The best what they say, a poet, ladies and gentlemen, is what I am. 'Generational words and I just wanted to remind you, over the next couple of minutes, these lyrics are poetry, I believe.' The band then launched into Chocolate from their 2013 self-titled debut, before Healy remarked 'I was only joking about being a poet' at its conclusion. Made up of four school friends, the group comprised of singer Healy, bassist Ross MacDonald, guitarist Adam Hann and drummer George Daniel were headlining the festival for the first time. Friday also saw a performance from Scottish music star Lewis Capaldi who told the Glastonbury crowds 'I'm back baby' as he played a surprise set, two years after a performance at the festival during which he struggled to manage his Tourette syndrome symptoms. The musician, who announced a break from touring shortly after his performance at the festival in 2023, has just released a new song called Survive. He told fans: 'It's so good to be back. I'm not going to say much up here today, because if I do, I think I will probably start crying.' He ended his performance with Somebody You Loved, the track that Glastonbury crowds helped him to sing when he struggled with the condition which can cause physical and verbal tics in 2023. Earlier on Friday, alternative pop star Lorde surprised fans with a secret set at Worthy Farm, performing her latest album Virgin, which was released on Friday, in full. Scottish indie rockers Franz Ferdinand brought out former Doctor Who actor Peter Capaldi during their Other Stage set while they were playing Take Me Out, one of their best-known songs. Celebrities who have been spotted at the festival include singer Harry Styles, Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne and Stranger Things star Joseph Quinn. Friday saw hot dry weather which hardened the Worthy Farm surface after rain in the early hours of the morning, with festival goers expected to see temperatures in the mid-20s on Saturday. The Met Office's Grahame Madge said: 'We anticipate highs of 26C on Saturday, with high levels of humidity. By Monday temperatures can be anticipated to be over 30C. 'There is always the chance of a light shower, but there is nothing in the forecast that suggests anything heavier for Saturday for Somerset.' Avon and Somerset Police said there had been 38 crimes reported at the festival and 14 arrests made. Performing in the coveted Sunday legends slot this year is Sir Rod Stewart, who previously said he will be joined by his former Faces band member Ronnie Wood, as well as other guests. Sir Rod's performance will come after he postponed a string of concerts in the US, due to take place this month, while he recovered from flu. The BBC is providing livestreams of the five main stages: Pyramid, Other, West Holts, Woodsies and The Park.
